McClain: Texans lacking in red zone, third downs

Making it past the pylon and into the end zone was an issue for Deshaun Watson and the Texans throughout the 2018 season.

Photo: Brett Coomer/Staff photographer

When they were compiling an 11-5 record and winning the AFC South this season, the Texans played against five of the six lowest-rated quarterbacks in the NFL.

Next season, they'll play against four of the five highest-rated quarterbacks: Drew Brees, Patrick Mahomes, Matt Ryan and Philip Rivers.

And that group doesn't include Andrew Luck twice and Tom Brady, Cam Newton and Lamar Jackson once.

Luck, Brady and Nick Foles were the best quarterbacks the Texans played against this season, and they were 1-4 against Indianapolis, New England and Philadelphia, including the 21-7 playoff loss to the Colts.

After joining Chicago as the only teams to go from worst to first in their divisions this season, the Texans will play a much more difficult schedule against first-place teams, the AFC West and the NFC South.

And the AFC South, the NFL's best division over the second half of the season, should be even better in 2019.

Playing against a Murderers Row of quarterbacks means general manager Brian Gaine, coach Bill O'Brien and defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel must improve the pass rush and pass coverage, which go hand in hand.

The Texans' defense also needs to improve on third down and in the red zone, two areas that used to be strengths. Those problems extended to the offense, too.

The Texans' offense was tied for 27th at scoring touchdowns in the red zone (50 percent) and 20th on third down (37.2 percent).

The defense was 29th in the red zone (79.7 percent) and 20th on third down (40.1).

Those problems continued Saturday when the Texans were eliminated in the wild card round of the playoffs.

The offense was 3-of-13 (23 percent) on third down and 1-of-2 in the red zone. The defense allowed the Colts to convert nine of 14 (64 percent) third downs and score touchdowns on three of four (75 percent) trips into the red zone.

"That's something we've really got to study," O'Brien said. "We were terrible in the red area on offense, not very good on third down on offense, and the same thing on defense."

Led by Deshaun Watson, the Texans reached the red zone 60 times this season, sixth in the NFL. But they scored only 30 touchdowns (17th).

The defense was awful in the red zone. Opponents made 41 penetrations into the Texans' red zone and scored 39 times. That 95.1 percent success rate was third worst behind Arizona (96.2) and Buffalo (95.8).

"We still won 11 games," O'Brien said. "I think a lot of that had to do with our takeaway-giveaway ratio."

One of the Texans' most impressive statistics was turnover differential. They finished second in the NFL at plus-13. They committed 16 turnovers, third fewest in the league. They forced 29 (fourth).

"That helped us," O'Brien said, "but we've got to get better in those situations (red zone and third down).

"We feel we went into every game like the players were prepared. We felt like we had a good game plan, but it just didn't come out that way. We have to look in the mirror as a coaching staff, and those are two areas that we've got to get better in on both sides of the ball."

An offensive line that'll be improved via the draft and free agency should provide a huge boost on third down and in the red zone.

Another season of experience for tight ends Jordan Thomas and Jordan Akins should help, too. If wide receivers Will Fuller and Keke Coutee could stay healthy, the Texans could go from one of the worst to among the best on third down and in the red zone, especially with a weapon like Watson at quarterback.

Besides signing and drafting cornerbacks, the Texans need to look at the pass rush. J.J. Watt (16 sacks) and Jadeveon Clowney (nine) were the only pass rushers whom opponents feared. No other player had more than four sacks.

The best way to improve the coverage is to upgrade the pass rush. Whether it's in free agency or the draft, finding another pass rusher or two should be essential to what the defense wants to achieve next season.

New players will come, and others will go as Gaine and O'Brien churn the roster.

"That's all part of being an NFL head coach and being an NFL general manager," O'Brien said. "Those are the decisions that are tough. Many of these guys, personally, I'm very attached to. A lot of them probably will be back, but there will be some tough decisions that have to be made."

John McClain, a Waco native who graduated from Baylor in 1975, is in his 43rd year at the Houston Chronicle and his 40th covering the National Football League, including the Oilers and Texans. He worked for the Waco Tribune Herald from 1973-76, when he accepted a job with the Chronicle. to cover the original Houston Aeros of the World Hockey Association.

McClain has a plaque in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio as the 2006 winner of the Dick McCann Memorial Award presented annually by the Pro Football Writers of America to a writer for his long and distinguished coverage of the NFL. He is past president of the Pro Football Writers of America.

He's a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Selection Committee, the Pro Football Hall of Fame Seniors Committee and the Texas Sports Hall of Fame Selection Committee.

In 2015, he was named as a Gridiron Legend in Texas, becoming the third member of the media behind Dave Campbell and Mickey Herskowitz.

McClain can be heard six times a week on the Texans' flagship station Sports Radio 610 in Houston. He also does weekly sports talk shows in Nashville, Knoxville, Waco, Austin and San Antonio.

McClain also has appeared in eight movies: The Rookie, The Longest Yard, Spring Breakers, Secretariat, Invincible, Cook County, The Game Plan and Make It Rain.